Strip serving machine



NOV. 14, 1944. 1', H, KRUEGER 2,362,641

STRIP SERVING MACHINE Filed Afig; is, 1942 2 Sheets-sheaf 1 l /4 I 22 zINVENTOR 72/500a5. keafae WMZ 7% ATTORNEY5.

Nov. 14, 1944.

1'. H; KRUEGER STRIP snavnw mrq'mn Filed Aug. 19, 1942 7 2 Sheets-Sheet2 INVENTOR -ATTORNEY$ for the next delivery.

Patented Nov. 14, 1944 STRIP SERVING MACHINE Theodore H. Krueger,Stratlord, Conn, as'signor to Better Packages Incorporated, acorporation of New York Application August 19, 1942, Serial No. 455,311

11 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for serving measuredstrips .of tape which are covered or impregnated on one side thereofwith a pressure sensitive adhesive usuallytacky or non-drying eitherpermanently or during the .period of use. The invention has particularutility in the various fields of use to which pressure sensitiveadhesive tape is applied and especially is useful where the tape isrequired in short lengths such as fractional parts of a foot. Iteliminates the tedious nuisance and waste involved in cutting inaccuratelengths with ordinary scissors and provides a simple and easy operatingmechanism for speedily stripping from the roll, measuring, cutting anddelivering at a point ready for use, the desired length of tape.

The improved apparatus contemplates mechanical means for stripping thematerial or tape from the roll inpredetermined lengths and comprisesgenerally av slidable measuring element adapted to be grasped with thetape adhering thereto atv or near the leading end of the tape. Theslidable element with the tape adhered thereto may then be drawn in itsslide to draw tape from the roll and a suitable stop for the element isprovided which stop may be adjustably mounted so that it may move avariety of difl'erent distances from the starting point and thus avariety .of lengths .of strip may be dispensed. severing oi the tape isaccomplished by tear-ofi means as will be described.

It is a particular object of the invention to provide a dispenser forstrips of normally tacky tape in which the operator grasps the tape anda measuring element together and moves them through a distance equal tothe length of tape desired, with a stop which prevents i'urther movementof the measuring element and thus limits the length of tape dispensed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a tape dispenserhaving severing means mounted so that after adelivered strip has beening the tape measuring element in retracted position; I

Figure is a transverse substantiallyvertical section of the machinetaken on the line 5-5 of Figure 2 showing the tape measuring device inextended position and illustrating the means for varying the length oftape delivered;

Figure 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view of asmodifled form of means to se ered a portion of the tape is left inextended position from the machine ready to be grasped Further objectsand advantages will appear from the following detailed description takenin connection with the drawings in which:

re 1 is a top plan view of an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken on the line 2-i ofFigure ,1;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the machine;

Figure 4 is a transverse substantially vertical section taken on theline 4-4 of Figure 2 showvary the length of tape delivered.

Referring now to Figures 1 through 6, a dispensing machine is shownhaving an outside casing ll! of roughly triangle shape in sideelevation,

the hypotenuse of the'triangle preferably being curved as shown inFigure 2 and having slots H which accommodate shaft H which carries therollls of tape to be delivered. The tape web I4 is drawn from the rolland passes, tacky side in,

about the guide roll it and meets the guide roll it on its non-tackyside. The roll it is positioned to change the direction of the tape to amore vertical position as particularly illustrated in Figure 2 and theinherent stiflness of the tape insures that the end of the tape will bepresented extending upwardly from the machine as there illustrated.

The feeding means include the chute 20 which has the feed or measuringelement or slide 22 mounted for sliding movement therein. The slide 22may preferably be provided with the two marginal portions 2t and theconnecting bridge top 25. Referring to Figure 2, it will be seen thatthe roll l6 directs the tape through the space between the marginalportions 2% of the slide 22 so that the web guided by the roll itextends from the machine in front of the slide with its non-tacky sidefacing the front of the machine in substantially the plane of movementof the slide. The slide is normally held against the pins 26 at thebottom of chute it by spring 26 which is secured to one end to the sidewall of the machine as at tit, encircles the spring pulley 32 and issecured at its other end to the pin 34! mounted on the slide 22. Sincethe feeding movement is upward from the machine, it may be desirable insome instances to provide for securing the machine to the surface onwhich it is placed and to this end the base extension 23 is providedwhich may be secured thus in any manner desired as by screw 25'.

The machine is also provided with tear-oil knife 36 which ismounted-transverselyof the path of the tape in the front of the machineas shown in Figure 2 and is preferably considerably in advance of thepoint where the chute extends from the machine so that a leading end ofthe tape will remain after severing for grasping on the next feedingstroke. The knife 86 may have a serrated edge 38 if desired or may be inthe form of a blade or the like. It is a particular advantage that thetape only engages the tearoff knife on its non-treated or non-tacky sideso that gumming of the tape by the adhesive will not ordinarily beencountered.

It will be seen that the extent to which the slide moves from itslowermost position against the pins 28 will determine the length of tapefed and in Figure 5 is illustrated a preferred means for adjusting thislength of movement. This means includes the sector Mi pivoted at 42 andhaving the teeth 34 and the \handle 48 which extends through the slot 68in the side wall ID of the machine. By moving the handle 46 the sectorto is moved about the pivot 42 to place one or another of the teeth 44in the 'way of the pin 34 as the slide 22 is pulled from the machine andprevent its further upward travel in the chute 28. Referring to'Flgure5, it will be seen that when the uppermost tooth is placed in the way ofthe pin 34, a considerable length of movement of the slide will bepermitted but as shown in the dotted position of the sector when thelowermost tooth is met by the pin 84 in its upward travel, aconsiderably shorter movement oi. the slide is possible. Lengths ofmovement of the slide in between these two extremes are provided by theremainder of the teeth, and arrows 50 or other suitable insignia may beembossed or otherwise suitably indicated upon the wall ID of the machineso that the handle 48 may be placed in the desired position to limit themovement of the slide.

It sometimes occurs that the tape being dispensed does not havesufllcient inherent stiffness so that the guide roller It makes it standup in Figure 2 and the thumb may then be slid off the bridge 25 and thetape strip moved downward toward the cutter 36 thus disengaging itstacky side from the bridge 25 whereupon the spring 28 will draw theslide 22 back against the base stop posts 26, the tape remaining adheredto the finger of the operator. The tape is continued in its downwardmovement against the knife 38 and severed whereupon the portion rearwardof the severing point will spring up or be pushed up by the deflector 10into substantially the full line position of Figure 2 ready for the nextdelivery.

In Figure '7 I have illustrated an optional form of means for varyingthe length of tape delivered including the sector fill pivoted at 62 bya friction type nut (53 which is adapted to hold the sector in theposition to which it is set. The sector is provided with curved surface64 and handle 56 and it will be seen that in the uppermost position ofthe handle, the pin 34 will extend its maximum distance upward resultingin the maximum length of tape whereas in the lowermost position of thehandle shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, the position of the curvedsurface 64 will be such that the pin 3% will extend only the minimumdistance upward from the base and the curve 64 provides intermediatethese two extreme points for intermediate lengths to be delivered; whichlengths are not limited to a small number of set positions, but may beanywhere between the maximum and minimum lengths.

The strip serving machine disclosed in the present application embodiessome of the same principles of operation as the strip serving machineforming the subject matter of my application for patent, Serial No.454,153, filed August 8, 1942.

In so'far as there is broad subject matter of away from the knife 38 fora sumcient distance to enable the thumb of the operator to grasp it whenit is desired to dispense a piece of tape. To avoid this difllculty Iprefer to provide the device with deflector means for deflecting theleading end of the tape upwardly toward the.

plane of movement of the slide after the severing of a previousdelivered strip has been accomplished. These means include the wire 70which is secured to the bell crank 72. The bell crank I2 is pivoted onthe same axis asthe roller It and has weight It which causes it normallyto assume the full line position of Figure 1 in which position itsupports the leading end of the tape as shown. The bell crank ispreferably loosely mounted on the axle of the roller it, however,

"so that when the roller I8 revolves, there will not be an unduetendency to rotate the bell crank. It can be seen, however, that whenthe tape is drawn down across the knife edge 38, the crank 12 will movedownward under the pressure of the tape and will only move the tape intoupwardly extending position after severance.

- The operation of the construction is as follows: With a portion oftape extending upwardly from the machine in the manner shown in Figure 2to a distance beyond the normal position of the bridge portion 25, thetape and the bridge are grasped between the thumb 52 and finger 54.

' The slide 22 is then drawn upward by the thumb invention common to'the two cases, such common subject matter is claimed in said companionapplication.

While I have illustrated and described in detail certain forms of myinvention, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself'to the useof such forms, as I realize that changes within the scope of theinvention are possible, and I further intend each element orinstrumentality recited in any of the following claims t be understoodto refere to all equivalent elements or instrumentalities foraccomplishing substantially the same result in substantially the same orequivalent manner, it being my purpose to cover my invention broadlyinwhatever form its principle may be utilized.

Iclaim:

1. A device for delivering strips of tacky material including a supportfor a supply of the material, a chute containing a slidable deliveryelement mounted to be partially withdrawn from said chute, said elementhaving an aperture therein, guide means for guiding the leading end ofthe tape through the aperture and then directing it into the plane ofmovement of the delivery element, means permitting grasping of thedelivery element and the leading end of the tape simultaneously to drawsaid element from the chute and simultaneously draw tape from the roll,stop means to limit the sliding movement of the delivery element andmeans to return said element to 7 terial, a reciprocating feed element,said element having means to engage the tacky side of the tape near itsleading end, means to permit the feed element to be reciprocated andtape drawn from the supply simultaneously, a severing knife mountedforwardly of said supply and said element whereby a fed strip may bedetached from said element and brought into severing contact with saidknife by forward movement from said element.

3. A machine for delivering strips of tacky material including a supportfor the supply of material, a, reciprocating feed element in the form ofa substantially flat plate mounted for movement in the direction of thelength of said plate,

means to bring the leading end of the tape from a said supply into theplane of movement of the reciprocating feed elementand means on saidfeed element permitting grasping of said element and the leading end ofthe tape'simultaneously to remove tape from the supply by movement ofsaid element and said leading end of the tape in said plane.

4. In a machine of the character described, means to bring the leadingend of the tape from the tape supply into the plane of movement of thefeed element including a shaft mounted in juxtaposition to said planeand weighted guide means pivoted on said shaft engaging the tape nearthe leading end thereof to move it toward the plane of said element.

5. A machine for delivering strips of tacky material having a supportfor a supplyoi' material. a, reciprocating feed element mounted formovement in a direction to withdraw tape from the supply, said feedelement having a member to which the tacky side of the tape is adaptedto adhere, a tape cutter mounted at one side of the feed element andspaced therefrom, the cutter being mounted at that side of the feedelement which exposes the blank non-tacky surface of the strip, and amovable deflector for deflecting the end of the strip after severance ofthe previously fed length'of tape toward the reciprocating feed element.

'6. A device for serving strips of tacky material including a supportfor a roll of tape, a reciproeating measuring element mounted forlimited reciprocal movement in the direction of feed, said measuringelement being apertured to permit the passage of the leading end of thetape from one :side to the other thereof, and guide means for leadingthe leading end of the tape through the aperture and into a planeparallel with the direction of movement of the measuring element, withan adhesive side of the tape facing the measuring element, saidmeasuring element being formed to permit it to be grasped by theiingersof one hand together with the leading end of the tape, so that itand the tape may be simultaneously moved to draw tape and the elementfrom the machine.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 6 having a device for automaticallyreturning the measuring element'to its initial. position as soon as itis released by the fingers of the operator, and the tape is separatedtherefrom.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 6 in which a spring is connected to thereciprocating measuring element and is stressed by the drawing out ofthe measuring element, and acts to return said element to its initialposition as soon as said element is released.

9. A machine as claimed in claim 6 in which said aperture is at least aslong as the longest reciprocal movement of the element.

10. A machine as claimed in claim 6 in which presettable adjustablemeans are provided to intercept the outward movement of the reciprocallyslidable measuring element to limit the movement of said element,whereby the length of I tape to befed may be predetermined.

11. A device for serving strips of tacky material including a supportfor a supply of material; a reciprocating measuring element mounted forreciprocal movement in the same direction in which the tape is to befed, said reciprocating element having a tape adhesion surface to whichthe tape may be caused to adhere during the movement of thereciprocating element and the feeding of thc tape, and spring means'forreturning the reciproeating element t'o'its initial position as soon asreleased at the conclusion of a feeding operation.

THEODORE H. KRUEGER.

